Juliedrvr
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed
Big Screen — Movie commentary
Blurt — Music's inside track
Booze News — San Diego spirits
Classical Music — Immortal beauty
Classifieds — Free and easy
Close to Home — What it’s like on the street where you live
Cover Stories — Front-page features
Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes
Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts
Feast! — Food & drink reviews
Feature Stories — Local news & stories
Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore
From the Archives — Spotlight on the past
Golden Dreams — Talk of the town
The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it
Letters — Our inbox
Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites
Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans
Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists
Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news
News Ticker — News & politics
Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated
Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna
Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated
Poetry — The old and the new
Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers
Reading — The hunt for intellectuals
Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails
San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds
SD on the QT — Almost factual news
Sheep and Goats — Places of worship
Special Issues — The best of
Street Style — San Diego streets have style
Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves
Theater — On stage in San Diego this week
Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative
Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work
Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego
Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads
Your Week — Daily event picks
When the Wheels Came Off
Jay, thank you for posting that. It really was interesting reading. I'm not arguing that loud noise, rock concert levels in particular, can lead to permanent hearing loss. And as a woman who has been going to rock concerts for 30+ years, and I am aware and concerned that my love for live rock shows could lead to serious hearing loss. My issue is with the alleged "insider" referred to Ken Leighton's story and with Mr Leighton's quoting of this "insider's" words to make accusations against the character of, and supposed physical limitations of, the members of REO Speedwagon, and reporting them as fact. As I wrote before, I was at that show at Harrah's Rincon. Was it loud? Sure, what rock concert isn't? Was it anywhere near one of the loudest indoor shows I've been to? Not even close. Did the volume of the music clear the house soon after they started playing? I can't say if anyone left for that reason or not. I wasn't interviewing them in an exit poll. I was busy having a good time at the show with my friends. But I will say this: Casino VIP's are given free tickets to shows. I used to be a Casino VIP, so I know. Many times these tickets are only picked up and used because they are free, and they think there is nothing to lose by going...they didn't have to put out the cost of tickets, so why not check it out, and if they don't like the show, well it's no big deal to head out to the casino. I've seen it happen at many casino shows, and did it once myself. All I can say, with any certainty, is that there sure was a heck of a lot of people in that room when the show ended.— October 17, 2008 10:48 p.m.
When the Wheels Came Off
Interesting? More like inaccurate. This alleged "insider" doesn't know what he/she is talking about. I was at that REO Speedwagon show at Harrah's Rincon, and the sound was no louder than most of the indoor concerts that I've been to over the years. I've seen other bands in venues about that size, and walked out with my ears ringing so bad, they were still doing it the next day. I had no problems with my hearing after this show, and I was standing right at the stage with my friends during the whole show. And this "insider" also obviously doesn't know what he/she is talking about when they stated that '“The guys are so f--king deaf,” says the insider, “they demanded that the front-of-house speakers be turned up to excruciating levels.' First off, all of the members of REO Speedwagon wear in-ear monitors so that they can hear what is being played and said. They don't rely on stage monitors to hear what is going on, on the stage. Secondly, I have met all of the guys in the band several times over the past few years, and none of them, in both group and one on one conversations, has ever shown me any sign of being deaf. I've never seen any of them asked anyone to repeat what they said during a conversation, or appear to not hear what someone said to them, and always carry on conversations with everyone speaking in normal tones. I think you need a new "insider."— October 16, 2008 6:50 p.m.